Copyright © 2017 Brandon Keith Moore
All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction.
A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL VISION FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF CHURCHES
A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy
by
Brandon Keith Moore December 2017
APPROVAL SHEET
A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL VISION FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF CHURCHES
Brandon Keith Moore
Read and Approved by:
__________________________________________
Timothy K. Beougher (Chair)
__________________________________________
Adam W. Greenway
__________________________________________
Gregg R. Allison
Date ______________________________
To God, my Savior, you deserve every ounce of glory from my life.
To Becca, my love, your unending love and encouragement have been a constant support, and I love you more than you’ll ever know.
To Hudson, our son, your simple smile and adventurous spirit have brought such joy, and I pray you grow to love God and His church even more than I do.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . 1
Purpose . . . . . . . 2
Background . . . . . . . 5
Methodology . . . . . . . 9
Definitions . . . 14
Limitations and Delimitations . . . 18
Overview . . . 18
2. WORSHIPERS OF GOD . . . 21
Worshipers of God . . . 23
A Study of 1 Peter 2:4-10 . . . 30
The Doxological Nature of the Church . . . 43
Nicene Creed: Holy . . . 46
The Church as Holy Worshipers for God’s Glory. . . 48
Centered upon Jesus . . . 49
Centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ . . . 53
The Apostolic Nature of the Church . . . 54
Empowered by the Holy Spirit . . . 55
Worshipers of God Centered upon Jesus Empowered by the Spirit . . . 57
Reasons for Revitalization . . . 58
Chapter Page
The Goal of Holy Worshipers . . . 59
The Purpose of Worship Gatherings and Undershepherds . . . 64
The Hope for Revitalization . . . 67
Conclusion . . . . . . . 68
3. FAMILY WITH ONE ANOTHER . . . 69
Ecclesiological Foundation . . . 70
Nicene Creed: One . . . 70
New Testament Images of the Church . . . 74
Covenantal and Confessional Natures of the Church . . . 81
Reasons for Revitalization . . . 89
The Goal of Oneness . . . 89
The Purposes of the Corporate Gathering and Church Membership . . . 91
The Value the Entire Body of Christ . . . 94
Conclusion . . . . . . . 95
4. MISSIONARIES TO THE WORLD . . . 97
Ecclesiological Foundation . . . 97
Nicene Creed: Catholic and Apostolic . . . 98
New Testament Images of the Church . . . 100
Missional Nature of the Church . . . 105
Spatio-Temporal/Eschatological Nature of the Church . . . 115
Reasons for Revitalization . . . 117
The Goal of Witness . . . 117
The Purposes of the Corporate Gathering and Disciple-Making . . . 120
The Stewardship of Witness and Resources . . . 122
Chapter Page
Conclusion . . . . . . . 124
5. THE ONGOING NECESSITY OF REVITALIZATION . . . 126
The Overarching Biblical Pattern of Renewal . . . 127
Cyclical Nature of Old Testament Renewal . . . 127
Paul’s Ministry of Strengthening Churches . . . 130
Revitalization in Revelation . . . 132
The Underlying Cosmic Reality: Spiritual Warfare . . . 133
The enemy’s present reality and ultimate destiny. . . 133
The church’s ultimate destiny and present reality. . . 138
The Pursuit of Revitalization in the Letters . . . 141
Christ’s self-revelation. . . 143
Christ’s encouragement and promises. . . 144
Christ’s rebukes and warnings. . . 145
Christ’s exposure of the churches’ failures in battle. . . 146
Christ’s path to victory. . . 148
The need and key concepts for revitalization. . . 149
Conclusion . . . . . . . 153
6. CONCLUSION: IMPLICATIONS FOR PURSUING REVITALIZATION. . . 155
A Summary of a Biblical Vision for Revitalization. . . 156
Identities and Reasons. . . 156
Proper Goals of Revitalization. . . 160
Proper Evaluative Measures. . . 162
Implications: When Revitalization Should No Longer Be Sought . . . 164
Legitimate Reasons. . . 166
Illegitimate Reasons. . . 171
Page Implications: Means and Models for Pursuing
Church Revitalization . . . 172
Essential Means. . . 173
Revitalization Models. . . 183
Conclusion. . . 189
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . 190
PREFACE
I am incredibly grateful for many people who played a significant role in this accomplishment. My wife, Becca, has provided endless support and encouragement.
Numerous friends and mentors, especially Freddy T. Wyatt, Matt Pinckard, and Jeffery Harper, encouraged my pursuit in the most difficult seasons. I am very thankful for the time and effort Mike Cowan invested in reading and editing my work. Each member of my committee played a vital role in my personal, theological, and educational
development. Dr. Adam Greenway provided very thorough and helpful guidance and critique. I am indebted to Dr. Gregg Allison for much of the ecclesiological framework within the following pages and for his invaluable theological insight and refinement.
Finally, I could not have accomplished this without Dr. Timothy Beougher, my
supervisor. His encouragement is a large part of the reason I began the endeavor in the first place. I am forever grateful for his willingness to do much more than merely provide academic guidance. Certainly, this dissertation bears the fruit of his labors beginning in my master’s level work.
Brandon Keith Moore Oak Ridge, Missouri
December 2017
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Churches in North America are dying at a rapid pace, and according to George Barna, “The Church in America is losing influence and adherents faster than any other major institution in the nation. Unless a radical solution for the revival of the Christian church in the United States is adopted and implemented soon, the spiritual hunger of Americans will either go unmet or be satisfied by other faith groups.” Various statistics 1 have been exhibited concerning this deplorable situation over the past two decades. Win Arn exhibited that about 4,000 churches close their doors every year. Lyle Schaller 2 claims, “An average of fifty to sixty congregations in American Protestantism choose to dissolve every week.” As of 2007, this trend had continued as documented by Warren 3 Bird, who cites that 3,500 churches close their doors each year. Recently, LifeWay 4 Research estimated that 3,700 churches closed in 2014. Additionally, according to the 5 NAMB annual report, "In an average year 1,000 churches disappear from the SBC [Southern Baptist Convention] database. Many of those churches are closing their doors
George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 1.
1
Win Arn, The Pastor’s Manual for Effective Ministry (Monrovia, CA: Church Growth, 1988),
2
16.
Lyle Schaller, Create Your Own Future! (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991), 111.
3
Warren Bird, “More Churches Opened Than Closed in 2006,” Rev Magazine, July-August
4
2007, 68.
Lisa Canon Green, “Study: New Churches Draw Those Who Previously Didn’t Attend,”
5
Lifeway, December 2015, accessed March 8, 2016, http://blog.lifeway.com/newsroom/2015/12/08/study- new-churches-draw-those-who-previously-didnt-attend/. Green explains, “Estimates of the number of 2014 Protestant church starts and closures are based on unofficial reports LifeWay Research gathered from 34 denominations that represent 55 percent of U.S. Protestant churches.The pattern in this large sample was applied to the non-reporting and non-denominational groups to provide the overall estimate.”
forever.” While the research may vary from study to study, the consensus among 6 researchers and lay observers alike is that churches in North America are closing their doors more rapidly than any other time in Western history.
Purpose
How can this rapid decline and death of churches be turned back in order that the presence of the church in North America would continue to shine brightly for generations to come? Countless solutions to the many obstacles that the church faces have been proposed. The church growth industry has exploded, and whole libraries could be stocked with the innumerable volumes on the subject. One of the major solutions 7 proposed and pursued has been to plant new churches, and the good news is that church planting has truly taken off in recent years. Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird recently wrote,
“The energy and enthusiasm about church planting in North America is at an unprecedented high.” Not only have individual churches reoriented toward church 8 planting, but also whole networks of churches have formed for the sake of church
planting. These networks, such as Acts 29, Sojourn Network, and Summit Network, have proliferated in recent years. In the last five years, the North American Mission Board realigned its ministries and operations with the purpose of church planting especially in urban settings through the Send North America Strategy. As a result of the growing vision for and emphasis upon church planting in North America, the number of new churches planted each year (4,000) has grown to exceed the number of churches that close their
North American Mission Board, “2015 North American Mission Board Ministry Report,”
6
accessed January 22, 2016, http://www.namb.net/annualreport/.
A recent Google search on the term “church growth” returned 18 million results. See Google
7
search, “church growth,” accessed February 8, 2016, https://www.google.com/search?
q=church+growth&oq=church+growth&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i61j0l4.1261j0j4&sourceid=
chrome&es_sm=119&ie= UTF-8. Additionally, a WorldCat search provided about 2,300 books in print and 4,100 peer-reviewed articles on church growth. See WorldCat search, “church growth,” accessed February 8, 2016, http://sbts.worldcat.org/search?q=church+growth&scope=3.
Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird, “The State of Church Planting in the United States: Research
8
Overview and Qualitative Study of Primary Church Planting Entities,” 40 (Dallas: Leadership Network), accessed March 8, 2016, www.christianitytoday.com/assets/10228.pdf.
doors (3,500). 9
In order to see churches throughout North America growing significantly again, the church’s response must be holistic including both planting and revitalizing churches. Unfortunately, while a compelling biblical case has been made for the importance of church planting, and the results have been very positive, a compelling biblical and theological case for the importance of intentionally investing in dying churches has yet to be clearly presented. Certainly, one should be encouraged that in recent years the particular work of church revitalization has begun to receive increasing attention. Many of these works are biblical and insightful. Yet even with a growing 10 biblical methodology, a significant tragedy is that few, if any, of these works address the underlying foundation for why this ministry must be pursued, and as a result, a
compelling vision for men to devote their lives to this vital ministry is lacking. Even when men have an instinct to care for established and dying churches, apart from a compelling biblical and theological vision, the frustrations, disillusionment, and other obstacles in revitalization ministry lead many to move on, burnout, or quit altogether.
Answering the question of why and cultivating a clear vision are essential driving forces behind any movement, for as James K. A. Smith argues, “Action and creative cultural labor are generated more by visions than maxims, more by a telos than a rule. This intuition is captured in a saying attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince: ‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless
Bird, “More Churches Opened Than Closed in 2006,” 68. See also, Scott McConnell,
9
“Research: Church Openings Outpace Closings,” Lifeway, April 2010, accessed March 8, 2016, http://
www.lifeway.com/Article/LifeWay-Research-finds-church-openings-outpace-closings-but-support-for- church-plants-lacking.
See Harry L. Reeder III, From Embers to a Flame and a revitalization coaching ministry
10
called Fanning the Flame at http://www.emberstoaflame.org/fanning-the-flame.html; Andrew M. Davis, Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again; Mark Clifton, Reclaiming Glory:
Creating a Gospel Legacy Throughout North America; Ed Stetzer, Comeback Churches; Aubrey Malphurs, Re:Vision; Gary McIntosh, There’s Hope for Your Church; Brian Croft, Biblical Church Revitalization; Bill Henard, Can These Bones Live? Michael F. Ross, Preaching for Revitalization; Tom Cheyney, Renovate Conference at www.renovateconference.org.
immensity of the sea.’” Vision clarifies, directs and inspires, and as Simon Sinek asserts 11 in his work on the importance of why, vision—and specifically inspiration—creates leaders who “are willing to pay a premium or endure inconvenience, even personal suffering . . . [and] create a following of people—supporters, voters, customers, workers
— who act for the good of the whole not because they have to, but because they want to.” Only with a clear, compelling biblical and theological vision will we see a 12 movement of men devoting their lives to this ministry, willing to endure the inevitable suffering, and capable of leading congregations to thrive once again.
Thus, in order to answer the question of “why,” I am seeking to produce a theological vision for church revitalization. In my studies, I have come across a growing amount of works on how to approach revitalization, yet the question of why is typically assumed and certainly not addressed at length. Alan J. Roxburgh addresses this problem in church growth materials: "Such tools are important resources, but they can become false substitutes for forming a missional identity. Often missing from their application is reflection on the nature of the church. As leaders seek to address this complex situation, the tools and resources offered to them generally assume but rarely reflect on the nature of the church.” Similarly, church revitalization materials focus on strategies and 13
processes but are missing an essential vision for why based upon the nature of the church.
In light of that, I want to establish a biblical and theological argument primarily based on the nature of the church for why church revitalization is an urgent and necessary ministry, and from that foundational vision draw implications for methodology in pursuing
revitalization.
James K. A. Smith, Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works (Grand Rapids: Baker
11
Academic, 2013): locs. 400-404, Kindle.
Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (New
12
York City: Penguin Books, 2009), 6.
Alan J. Roxburgh, “Missional Leadership: Equipping God’s People for Mission,” in
13
Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, ed. Darrell L. Guder (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 201.
The ministry of church revitalization is necessary and important for a variety of reasons grounded in the very nature of the church itself. God has created the church with purpose driven identities that are grounded in her relationship with three
communities: the Trinity, local church membership, and the world. Essentially, churches are communities of people who are worshipers of God centered on Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, family with one another, and missionaries to the world. The argument will be made that the nature of these relationships should propel God’s people to pursue the revitalization of dying churches. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to present a compelling case for why church revitalization must be pursued and a vision of how this should be pursued in light of the inherent relationships that local churches have with God, among their church members, and with the world. In order to accomplish this goal,
several research questions will be addressed. This dissertation will seek to answer one primary question: why should the revitalization of local churches be intentionally pursued? Three additional questions will be addressed. First, why will church
revitalization always be a necessary ministry? Second, does a church reach a point in which revitalization should not be pursued, and if so, when is that the case? Third, what are the methodological implications of the reasons for revitalization? The goal is that in answering these questions a compelling vision for revitalization will be articulated that contributes to raising up a generation of leaders committed to this particular ministry.
Background
My captivation with church revitalization finds its roots in my experience in churches growing up. Having pastors who truly loved the bride of Christ, I developed a love and passion for seeing the church grow through evangelism and discipleship. As I grew close with my youth minister during my final years of high school, I began to be exposed to a significant degree of unhealthiness in my church at the time. Unlike many people I knew who allowed the messy side of the local church to cultivate cynicism, God
actually began to develop a passion in me for healing the wounds and bridging the gaps between people within the church. Unfortunately, the unhealthy aspects of the church eventually led to the resignation of my youth pastor and a very messy situation. The youth ministry was at a moment of crisis, and having a significant leadership role as a recently graduated senior, I was compelled to step up, lead, and point people to Christ and the Gospel for the sake of the body. Though I held this role only for a short time as I was heading to college in the fall, I was marked by the pain that the church experienced and the destruction of that church’s witness in our small town. Never again did I want to see a church experience such things because of a tolerance of sin and immaturity within the congregation. Less than two years after that incident, I watched from afar as my home church split. One half of the body left and decided to start a new church just a few miles away. As I processed this situation, I vividly remember looking at the local newspaper in which a listing of churches was posted. To my amazement and chagrin, I counted over thirty different Baptist churches, and I could not help but wonder if a new church plant was really what our town needed, especially as the result of a split. My heart was broken for the state of the churches in my hometown, and as I widened my perspective in the years that followed, God gripped my heart with a passion to revitalize churches as a result.
To this day, I have continued to be captivated by the thoughts of what a movement of revitalization would mean for the state of the church in North America. As can be seen throughout the New Testament, God receives tremendous glory when
individuals are redeemed and transformed by the gospel. In light of that truth, I could not help but imagine how much greater God would be glorified when an entire people repent, return to Him, and experience revitalization as a church. When churches that are
declining due to sin and lacking a faithful witness are revitalized through the gospel to new health and growth, certainly, the power of that gospel is on display for all to see, and the God of that gospel is magnified. This line of thought pressed me to consider how
revitalization can best be pursued.
While this passion was continuing to develop, God led me to New York City to work with a church plant, and through that time, I was able to see the incredible
movement of God across North America through the multiplication of church plants and church planting networks. Yet my encounter with this movement actually further led me to commit myself to revitalization. By no means do I view revitalization as better than or preferable over church planting as a whole, but as church planting has taken off in recent years, I can’t help but wonder how great a movement would be created in North America if a similar emphasis would be laid upon church revitalization.
Thankfully, a renewed emphasis upon church revitalization has been on the rise as of late. With ministries such as Mark Dever’s 9 Marks, Harry Reeder’s Embers to a Flame Conference and Fanning the Flame Ministry, and Tom Cheyney’s Renovate, a growing base of literature is developing for the specific work of church revitalization.
Through my studies in the doctoral program at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, I have encountered a great deal of this growing material, and while much of the material being produced is deeply biblical and sound, one of the primary missing pieces is the lack of a compelling vision for the pursuit of this ministry. The problems in churches across America are often cited, yet the reason for addressing these issues is often missing or merely addressed briefly.
In order to see a significant movement of revitalization, a host of ministers must be raised up who will passionately pursue the work of revitalization, and this will not come from mere intuition or assumptions about its necessity, but only from a clear, compelling, and biblical vision calling them to this task. Reeder gives one page to making his argument for church revitalization, which can be summed up in this one line: “The people of God need a biblical strategy for church revitalization because so many of us are
or will be part of a body that is in need of it.” While this observation is true, it lacks 14 compelling vision and purpose. With the growing trend of lack of commitment among church members, why should members or ministers stay at a church in decline? Why not let the church die and take part in a new church plant that is actually seeing conversions and baptisms?
While not arguing against church revitalization, Tim Keller does argue for church planting based upon its effectiveness: “Dozens of denominational studies have confirmed that the average new church gains most of its new members (60-80%) from the ranks of people who are not attending any worshipping body, while churches over ten to fifteen years of age gain 80-90 percent of new members by transfer from other
congregations.” Certainly, as ministers are committed to reaching the lost, this makes a 15 compelling argument for the pursuit of church planting, and the rest of Keller’s argument fills out a holistic vision for the purpose of planting. This kind of vision is lacking in church revitalization material, however. Instead, as Reeder assumes the desire to revitalize because the need is present, Bill Henard does the same as well in his recent work: “Do churches die? Of course they do. That issue offers the primary motivation for this book. Should churches die? If we believe that the church belongs to Jesus, then to offer an answer in the affirmative becomes a much more difficult conclusion. Therefore, I start with this presumption: God wants the church to grow.” Unfortunately, due to the 16 cynicism toward institutions in general and declining established churches more
specifically, this presumption seems tenuous. Thus, the goal in developing this dissertation is to fill that void and provide a compelling vision for revitalization.
Harry L. Reeder III and David Swavely, From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize
14
Your Church (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2008), 7.
Timothy Keller, “Why Plant Churches,” Redeemer City to City, 2009, accessed July 17,
15
2017, http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/Why_Plant_Churches-Keller.pdf. See also Lyle Schaller, quoted in Donald McGavran and George Hunter, Church Growth: Strategies that Work (Nashville:
Abingdon, 1980), 100. See C. Kirk Hadaway, New Churches and Church Growth in the Southern Baptist Convention (Nashville: Broadman, 1987).
Bill Henard, Can These Bones Live? (Nashville: B&H, 2015), 8.
16
Methodology
In order to establish a theological vision for church revitalization, this
dissertation will articulate a foundational ecclesiological ontology and draw connections between the identity of the church and the call to church revitalization. This method is based upon the ecclesiological approach of Gregg Allison in Sojourners and Strangers:
The Doctrine of the Church. According to Allison, three primary approaches have been taken to ecclesiology: functional, teleological, and ontological. The functional approach articulates what the church is based upon what is does. The teleological approach begins with the purposes of the church, and the ontological approach, Allison’s approach as well, explains the church through identifying the characteristics (some of which have a
“directionality” or telos as Allison describes them) that make up her being with the purposes and functions that flow from these. 17
While there is value in each of these approaches, the ecclesiology developed in this dissertation makes a minor shift in the above perspectives. Rather than distinguishing a teleological and ontological approach, this dissertation will combine elements of both by studying the church as a teleologically driven being in order to provide the clearest possible picture of who the church is. As in Allison’s ecclesiology, the basic teleological ontology of the church is the source from which its functions and ministries proceed, and as will be established, church revitalization is one of the ministries that necessarily emerges from these sources. Thus each of the first three chapters after the introduction will establish an aspect of the being of the church and follow that with reasons for revitalization. Next, the ongoing necessity of revitalization will be established through a biblical survey of spiritual renewal among God’s people. The survey will also examine the reality of spiritual warfare as it relates to the church’s need for renewal. Lastly, despite the biblical reasons to pursue revitalization, is there a time when one should stop
Gregg R. Allison, Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church (Wheaton, IL:
17
Crossway, 2012): locs. 1003-79, Kindle.
seeking revitalization, and if so, when? In light of the nature of the church, the final major chapter will consider these questions as well as the methodological implications for the revitalization of local churches.
My hermeneutical and theological approach has a significant impact on the methodology and definitions utilized throughout, thus both must be addressed in turn.
Both of these approaches pertain to the continuity and discontinuity of the Old and New Testaments and in light of that national Israel and the church. Allison delineates four major approaches to the issue at hand: “absolute continuity,” “moderate continuity,”
“moderate discontinuity,” and “absolute discontinuity.” On either end of the spectrum, 18 both positions proceed too far to the extremes as the law is either wholly continued or entirely dismissed. Both extremes are ultimately untenable. As a result, I have adopted a mediating position, specifically moderate discontinuity. Two significant hermeneutical principles ground my approach and influence my theological perspective. One primary hermeneutical principle is, as Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum articulate in Kingdom through Covenant, to begin with any passage on the “textual” level and consider what the passage meant in that immediate context, then move to the “epochal” level and consider what the passage meant at that point in redemptive history, and finally, move to the
“canonical” level to consider what this passage means in light of God’s total revelation in both the Old and New Testament. This approach is vital since God’s Word is 19
progressive in its revelation of who He is and how He is redeeming all of mankind and creation. Many interpreters and theologians are too quick to read the New Testament into the Old and end up with a skewed perspective on the meaning of particular passages that have significant implications for the doctrine of the church. Approaching Scripture with the above principle and a historical-grammatical method of interpretation is vital for
Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 788-838.
18
Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological
19
Understanding of the Covenants (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 93-100. See also Richard Lints, The Fabric of Theology: A Prolegomenon to Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 259-311.
faithful hermeneutics and helps to avoid washing out some of the significant implications of what God was doing at a particular point in history.
Additionally, one’s approach to typology is important as well. The idea of typology is distinct from both analogies in which mere parallels can be drawn and direct- prophecies in which the change is plainly made. Walter Kaiser explains types in the following way: “Nevertheless, when God specially designated events, institutions, and persons, he did so because they had a certain necessity about them that pointed beyond their times to another future time and generation. Even though its future realization would exceed what the designees had experienced, enough would still be shared in common for later generations to know that the repeated situation, recurring office or ritual, or the reiterated principle was the same.” Four important rules for typological hermeneutics 20 are provided by W. Edward Glenny:
1. The Old Testament type must be based on “historical facts—persons, actions, events and institutions,” not hidden meanings found in the text.
2. The link between the type and the antitype must be identifiable in Scripture.
3. A pattern or correspondence must exists between the Old Testament type and the New Testament antitype.
4. There must be an escalation or heightening from the Old Testament type to the greater New Testament antitype. 21
As will be evidenced in following chapters, typology rightly understood points to significant continuity between the Old and New Testaments as well as Israel and the church. Yet, once again, Gentry and Wellum are helpful as they point out that the major types throughout the Old Testament, including that of Israel, find their primary
fulfillment in Christ, and as a result, while there is significant continuity between the church and Israel, discontinuity does exist. In part, recognizing the progressive aspect 22 of revelation and the realities of typology leads to a perspective that affirms moderate
Walter C. Kaiser, The Uses of the Old Testament in the New (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock,
20
2001), 110.
W. Edward Glenny, “The Israelite Imagery of 1 Peter 2,” in Dispensationalism, Israel and
21
the Church: The Search for Definition, ed. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1992), 157-58.
Gentry and Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant, 121-26.
22
discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments. Essentially, while there is one unified plan for redemption across the ages through the work of Jesus, discontinuity does exist and must be recognized between the nature of the church and Israel, specifically ethnic Israel’s future.
With the above principles in view, I operate with a moderate discontinuity perspective primarily due to four issues. First, the interpretation of two particular
passages are significant. Romans 11 is a key passage in the debate in which I affirm some degree of future fulfillment for believing ethnic Israel. Also, Galatians 6:16 is often 23 cited as a clear equation of Israel and the church. However, Robert L. Saucy rightly points out that the evidence is in favor of understanding Paul as referring to two different entities within the verse, for the contextual evidence favors “the usual copulative (i.e.,
‘and’)” translation and “perhaps most importantly, if ‘the Israel of God’ is a reference to the church, it would be the only instance where the apostle uses Israel with this
meaning.” Second, the degree of discontinuity between Israel and the church is 24
evidenced in the sharp transition at the day of Pentecost leading to the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit and the ingathering of the nations. Third, while baptism and 25
circumcision share some similarities, my affirmation of believer’s baptism results in a significant degree of discontinuity. Finally, my perspective on prophecy aligns with the 26 discontinuity perspective as Allison explains:
The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning national Israel have not all been
23
fulfilled in the church, and at the least, Romans 11 affirms a fulfillment for Israel in a future large-scale conversion. Allison argues, “Furthermore, the church has not replaced Israel nor fulfilled all of the promises made to Israel, and given the Old Testament promises (affirmed in Romans 11) of a bright future for the Jews, a significant divine work awaits them, including their large-scale conversion and national restoration.” Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 2069-2071.
Robert L. Saucy, “Israel and the Church: A Case for Discontinuity,” in Continuity and
24
Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments, ed. John Feinberg (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1988), 246. See also, Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 1988-2010.
Unlike the people of God in the Old Testament, the New Testament church enjoys the
25
permanent presence of the Spirit and the impartation of spiritual gifts. See Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 2049-53.
While physical circumcision was applied to every physical member of the nation of Israel,
26
baptism is reserved for those who have personally repented and believed the gospel.
Some prophecies (e.g., Isaiah 53) addressed the coming of the Messiah and have been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth (or will be fulfilled at his second coming); some have been forfeited by the Jews because of their refusal to recognize Jesus to be the Christ; and still others are now being partially fulfilled in the church (e.g., Jer. 31:
31– 34 with Heb. 8: 8– 13; Joel 2: 28– 32 with Acts 2: 17– 21). Furthermore, and in contrast to these elements of Old Testament revelation, the discontinuity approach holds that the promises and prophecies of a national restoration of the Jews to the Promised Land of Israel (e.g., Deut. 30: 1– 10; Isa. 49: 8– 26; Zechariah 10) await a literal (physical) fulfillment in the future (as evidenced by Romans 11). 27
The distinguishing factor here is that some of the prophecies have not been totally fulfilled in the church and will one day be fulfilled in some manner with Israel.
While these issues highlight my moderate discontinuity perspective, a remarkable amount of continuity does exist between the people of God in the Old and New Testaments. Despite the distinctions, I wholeheartedly agree with Saucy that “many aspects of Israel are applicable to the ‘people of God’ in the church. . . . Because of the basic continuity in the nature of God’s salvation and the consequent nature of the ‘people of God,’ many aspects of the earlier covenant people are likewise applicable to the covenant people of the NT church.” In light of all this, when properly interpreted 28 through the textual, epochal, and canonical approach and with applicable typology, many principles applied to Israel are relevant for the church and, as a result, local churches. In fact, many of the perspectives and conclusions of the moderate continuity viewpoint are shared with various exceptions such as the future of ethnic Israel, the nature of church membership, and the ordinances. Ultimately, the typological fulfillment of God’s dealings with Israel and their spiritual history provide many insights and examples for churches’
relationships with God and their spiritual renewal.
Finally, in order to establish the arguments for this dissertation, a wide variety of sources will be utilized. The primary text for this dissertation will be the Bible, for the Scriptures are the authoritative, inerrant, and inspired Word of God and provide the only perfectly reliable source for who the church is meant to be. In addition to Scripture,
Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 854-61.
27
Saucy, “Israel and the Church,” 248-49.
28
journal articles and books in the fields of ecclesiology and church revitalization will be considered. Commentaries will be utilized as specific passages are addressed.
Additionally, biblical theologies of particular themes related to the church will be engaged, and systematic theologies will also be utilized for the development of ecclesiology.
Definitions
In order to provide clarity for the following discussion, several definitions are required. As the church is the focal point of this work, a specific definition must be established. Additionally, several distinct ideas can often be confused when dealing with the idea of church revitalization. In order to have clarity as to the kind of ministry that this dissertation is seeking to promote, one must differentiate among these terms: church growth, church health, church revitalization, revival, and awakening. While all of these are related on some level, distinctions must be drawn.
The church. In light of the above ecclesiological methodology, I define the church in the following paragraph as the community of God’s people who have experienced the saving grace of Jesus through repentance and faith in the gospel and baptism of the Holy Spirit. The church exists on two levels: universal and local. Very broadly, the universal church as the body of Christ can refer to the totality of the people of God, “all of the redeemed of all the ages,” at the end of time. More specifically, 29 though, the universal church manifested at this stage in redemptive history addresses every regenerate believer in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost until His return at His second coming. The local church is the physical manifestation of the universal church 30 through a particular people, place, and time. The local church exists for the glory of God as a display people through living as worshipers of God centered upon Jesus and
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and Message, 2000,” accessed September 23,
29
2017, http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp. See also, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
“Abstract of Principles,” 1858, accessed September 23, 2017, http://www.sbts.edu/about/abstract/.
Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 633-640.
30
empowered by the Holy Spirit, family with one another, and missionaries to the world.
The church lives out this purpose submitting to the authority of Christ under the rule of the congregation, the leadership of pastors, and the service of deacons through gospel ministry that includes gathering regularly for the preaching of the Word and worship, observing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, living out the one another’s, conducting church discipline, praying together, proclaiming the gospel to unbelievers, and embodying the gospel for the good of the world while standing against the schemes of Satan.
The discipline of church growth. First, the idea of church growth is defined best by Thom Rainer in The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles:
“Church growth is that discipline which seeks to understand, through biblical,
sociological, historical, and behavioral study, why churches grow or decline. True church growth takes place when ‘Great Commission’ disciples are added and are evidenced by responsible church membership.” As a discipline, church growth is a broad category of 31 study concerning the numerical increase of true disciples, and while church revitalization would certainly be a contributor to church growth and has growth as an end, the two are distinct. Revitalization, as will be defined more thoroughly below, is the specific
discipline and ministry of bringing growth and health to churches in decline.
The church health movement. Based upon that brief definition of revitalization, the church health movement must also be differentiated from revitalization. The church health movement, for which Mark Dever and 9 Marks ministries have been a significant driving force, focuses primarily on biblical faithfulness for the sake of growth in spiritual health rather than the typically sociological and pragmatic tendency of church growth with its focus upon numerical growth. Revitalization shares in the pursuit of church health but only from the perspective of churches in decline and also includes the goal of numerical growth in a similar way to the discipline of church growth. Both of these
Thom Rainer, The Book of Church Growth (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1993), 21.
31
disciplines have much to contribute to revitalization work due to the overlap, yet they must remain distinct disciplines.
The ministry of church revitalization. In order to understand the urgency of the particular work of church revitalization, one must delineate the nature of this ministry in comparison to the typical work of pastors in established churches. If defined too broadly, church revitalization will become every pastor’s job who is not planting a church. For example, Brandon Conner, in his dissertation on church revitalization, argues for a biblical model of church revitalization. In his discussion, he asserts that much of Paul’s ministry was a “proactive approach to church revitalization.” Thus Paul’s work to 32 continue the growth of many New Testament churches is considered revitalization along with what Conner describes as a “reactive approach.” The trouble with this 33
understanding of revitalization is that every church has room for growth in many areas, and every pastor has the responsibility to continue to equip his people to be built up “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .” (Eph 4:13). 34 To define church revitalization as both proactive and reactive is unhelpful as it dilutes the specific call for this ministry that has many particular difficulties that are unique to revitalization.
Although in need of a minor tweak, Harry Reeder provides a much more helpful definition: “Leading a church that has plateaued of [sic] declined or lost effectiveness for the work of the kingdom back to vitality and effectiveness in serving Christ.” This understanding of revitalization distinguishes the work from both planting 35 and shepherding an already established yet generally healthy congregation. However,
Brandon Edward Conner, “Church Revitalization: Insights from the Ministry of the Apostle
32
Paul” (PhD diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012), 57.
Ibid.
33
All Scripture citations are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
34
Eric Landry and Harry Reeder, “Revitalization,” October 2009, accessed October 23, 2013,
35
http://www.whitehorseinn.org/archives/tag/revitalization.html.
even this definition has a weakness that can dilute its specificity. Every church will experience moments or short seasons of impurity, disunity, or stagnancy, but that does not mean that every church will need the specific ministry of revitalization. A temporal qualification must be added to Reeder’s definition to make it complete. Certainly, no exact time frame exists, but a few short months of subtle decline does not constitute a need for revitalization. Nevertheless, a highly acute shift in health over a short period of time could legitimately call for revitalization. Additionally, Michael Ross provides a helpful contribution in defining church revitalization: “The process whereby a church is refocused on its mission of both evangelism and nurturing, and renewed in its efforts to minister to others so that numerical, spiritual and organizational growth occur and are sustained.” The specificity of his goal is particularly helpful and should be included in 36 any definition. Thus church revitalization should be defined as an intensive process of leading a church that has experienced an extended season of or an acute shift toward impurity, disunity, or stagnancy to significantly greater alignment with the true nature of the church as set forth in Scripture so that growth begins and continues.
Revival. Church revitalization must be distinguished from revival, which is a special outpouring of the Spirit of God. Ross explains that revitalization and revival are not the same thing by making a distinction that is primarily about degree. For
extraordinary works of revival to occur, it must be something the Spirit initiates, but revitalization is something that can be worked toward, not without the Spirit, but apart from a special outpouring of the Spirit. He later observes that one can have revitalization without revival but not revival without revitalization. 37
Awakening. Additionally, awakening and revival are not the same thing.
Awakening is an incredible work of God that is brought about through revival. While
Michael F. Ross, Preaching for Revitalization: How to Revitalize Your Church through Your
36
Pulpit (Glasgow: Mentor, 2006), 21.
Ibid., 24.
37
revival focuses upon the renewal of the church, awakening is the widespread effects that flow from a renewed people of God. Specifically, awakening entails a mass ingathering of the lost into the kingdom of God. Further, it typically involves significant social ramifications for society as a whole. One should note that awakening does not always occur when revival does. While the church may be renewed in a marvelous way, the greater society may not be changed due to their hardness of heart or other significant factors. While a significant movement of church revitalization may be part of the Spirit’s work to bring holistic revival and a resultant awakening, these ideas should not be conflated.
Limitations and Delimitations
This dissertation will be delimited in scope in its argument for revitalization to the biblical and theological formulations of the nature of the church. While other avenues of research could be explored for establishing the necessity and priority of this ministry, the identity of the church as asserted in Scripture and affirmed in church history should be the primary influence on the direction of the ministries pursued in relation to it. In other words, as Allison argues for in his ecclesiology, the ontology of the church should lead to the functionality of the church. Additionally, every passage in relation to the 38 identity of the church cannot be addressed. Thus, the focus will be upon passages that contribute to the primary images and themes of the church’s identity. Finally, this work will be limited by the small number of works specifically addressing church
revitalization. This contributes to the decision to make synthesizing the biblical evidence and systematic theology concerning the church the primary methodological strategy.
Overview
Following this introduction, the first section of the dissertation includes three chapters on the call to revitalization based upon the nature of the church and her
Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, locs. 1037-65.
38
teleological identities. The second chapter focuses upon the church as worshipers of God.
The biblical and theological foundation for this identity is delineated, connected to the Nicene Creed’s description of the church as holy, and developed in connection to its relationship with the Trinity in which churches are centered on Jesus and empowered by the Spirit. Focusing on the doxological and logocentric natures of the church as
foundational, special consideration is given to Jesus as the Chief Shepherd and
Bridegroom. Flowing from this foundation, reasons for revitalization are established: the goal of Christlikeness, the purpose of the worship gathering and undershepherds, and the call to pursue holiness in the bride of Christ.
The third chapter focuses upon the church as family with one another. The biblical and theological foundation for this identity is delineated, connected to the Nicene Creed description of the church as one, and developed in connection to covenantal
relationship between church members and the implications of the one another commands.
Flowing from this foundation, reasons for revitalization are established: the goal of oneness, the purpose of the worship gathering and church membership, and the call to value the entire body of Christ.
The fourth chapter focuses upon the church as missionaries to the world. The biblical and theological foundation for this identity is delineated, connected to the Nicene Creed description of the church as catholic and apostolic, and developed in connection to the images of the church as the new creation, salt, and light as well as its mission given by Christ. Flowing from this foundation, reasons for revitalization are established: the goal of witness, the purpose of the worship gathering and disciple-making, and the call to steward its witness and resources well for the sake of mission.
Next, the fifth chapter explores the vital nature of revitalization ministry through a biblical survey that establishes its ongoing necessity thus answering the first secondary research question: why will church revitalization always be a necessary ministry? For, understanding the ongoing need establishes the urgency to hear and
respond to the call. This chapter begins with an examination of the nature of renewal in the Old Testament and Paul’s ministry of revitalization. Following this survey, the chapter turns toward the reality of spiritual warfare and its impact on the need for revitalization.
Through an overview of the book of Revelation, the cosmic reality of spiritual warfare in the church age is established and connected clearly to the reason for decline in local churches. In the context of spiritual warfare, Jesus’ call for revitalization to several churches in the introductory letters is examined to establish not only the ongoing need for revitalization, but also the foundational path for pursuing revitalization.
The final chapter provides a summary of the argument for pursuing
revitalization and conclusions that answer the other secondary research questions. After the summary, the next secondary research question is considered: when should a church be left to die? Based upon the above study, illegitimate and legitimate reasons for giving up on revitalization are identified. The chapter concludes with foundational methods for the pursuit of revitalization ministry, thus answering the final secondary research
question: what are the methodological implications of the reasons for revitalization?
In the following pages, a compelling call for the revitalization of churches will flow from the nature of the church and the pages of Scripture. Perhaps no greater single argument can be made than from the nature of the church as worshipers of God. To that ecclesiological identity, we now turn.
CHAPTER 2 WORSHIPERS OF GOD
Death is approaching thousands of churches in North America each year, and church revitalization is needed desperately if many of these churches will survive until the next calendar year. Many pastors and lay people long to experience a turn around with growth and revitalization in these churches. But what motivates these ministers and church members? The better question is what should be their motivation? Love for the church or one’s particular church is certainly important, but motivation cannot lie primarily here. The center of motivation for revitalization must be God Himself.
Recognizing this reality will not only provide significant implications for approaching revitalization, but also motivation for ministers and lay people to pursue revitalization of churches with purpose, passion, and perseverance.
While the nature of the church is the foundation for my argument, the Trinity is central because the church’s identity is established in God. Edmund Clowney expresses the centrality of the Trinity well in the following:
Indeed, the doctrine of the church is not only closely related to the doctrine of the Trinity, it flows from it. . . . The focus of Scripture is on the living God, of whom, through whom, and unto whom are all things, not least the people he has redeemed and claimed as his own. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Biblical doctrine of the church is directly related to God’s revelation of himself. As we trace the history of redemption recorded in the Word of God, we find that the church comes into view as the people of God, the disciples of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. 1 Furthermore, Clowney maintains, “the people gain their identity from the self-
identification of the Lord.” Thus, a clear understanding of the church’s relationship with 2
Edmund P. Clowney, “The Biblical Theology of the Church,” in The Church in the Bible and
1
the World: An International Study, ed. D. A. Carson (Exeter, UK: Paternoster Press, 1987), 14-15.
Ibid., 18.
2
God is vital for proper motivation and vision for revitalization. Additionally, the identity that the church receives from God carries with it core characteristics that have been recognized since the early church. The Nicene Creed identifies four core characteristics:
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The Reformers affirm the importance of these marks, too. Paul D. L. Avis argues, “If the Reformers were asked what they made of the credal marks of the church—unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity—they would answer with the whole Christian tradition that these are the essential notes or characteristics of the church.” Thus, throughout this chapter, the centrality of the Trinity for the motivation 3 and vision of revitalization will be made manifest, and the relationship with each person of the Trinity will be discussed in connection with the relevant creedal marks of the church in order to establish the foundational reasons for revitalization. Ultimately, one will find that the central reason for pursuing the revitalization of churches is rooted in the church’s relationship with the Trinity as worshipers of God who are centered upon Jesus and empowered by the Spirit.
In order to establish this argument, the church’s identity as worshipers of God will be developed through the examination of the church as part of the people of God as seen throughout Scripture. Particular attention given to 1 Peter 2 as well as images of the church developed elsewhere. Then, I will argue for the “doxological” nature of the 4 church as the foundation of the church’s identity as worshipers of God and connect this identity to the creedal mark of holiness. After establishing the foundational identity, the connection to the other two persons of the Trinity will be developed. The
“logocentricity” of the church will be expressed in connection with the creedal mark of 5 apostolicity. Next, I will develop the essential relationship between the Spirit and the church’s identity as worshipers of God, and finally, reasons for revitalization will be
Paul D. L. Avis, The Church in the Theology of the Reformers (Atlanta: John Knox, 1996), 8.
3
Gregg R. Allison, Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church (Wheaton, IL:
4
Crossway, 2012), loc. 2640, Kindle.
Ibid., loc. 2717.
5
expressed based upon this identity of the church.
Worshipers of God
One of the most prominent themes throughout the pages of Scripture is God’s work to make a people for Himself. J. Gary Millar in the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology goes so far as to assert that “the message of the Bible, in essence, is that God is at work to bring into being a people under his rule in his place.” In the beginning, God is 6 dwelling with the pinnacle of His creation in the Garden of Eden, but after sin enters the world, He casts humanity from His presence. Yet, God intends to be in relationship with humanity, thus He pursues a people for Himself. Beginning most prominently with Abram in Genesis 12, God works to create His people. One day, this work will culminate with the final restoration of all of God’s creation in which He will then dwell with His people forever (Rev 21:1-7). From beginning to end, God is creating one people for Himself.
Though the manifestation and structure of His people changes as redemptive history moves forward, the people of God in the nation of Israel and churches today are one people. Millar also argues for one people of God: “Ephesians 2 (especially vv. 7 14-16) makes perfectly clear that there is only one people of God, and that the new covenant community embraces all that has gone before, including both Jews and Gentiles on exactly the same basis. This is also reflected, as we have seen, in the way in which many of the OT pictures of the people of God are picked up and developed in the NT.” 8 Each stage of redemptive history revealed new facets of understanding concerning the people of God. Though much of the Old Testament exhibits the people of God as the
J. Gary Millar, “The People of God,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond
6
Alexander and Brian S. Rosner (Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 684.
Dever writes, “The shape of the visible church today bears a clear continuity—though not
7
identity—with the visible people of God in the Old Testament. God’s eternal plan has always been to display his glory not just though individuals but through a corporate body.” Mark Dever, “The Church,” in Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007), 768.
Millar, “The People of God,” 687.
8
nation of Israel and, as a result, reveals much about the nature of God’s people, a fuller understanding is expressed through the prophets, who “drew a distinction between the kin-group or political state and the real people of God—those who lived for God in faithfulness to his covenant (see e.g. Hos. 1:1-11)” Through the prophets, the complex 9 concept of remnant theology was developed. Millar explains, “At its heart, however, lay the conviction that even when Israel or Judah were at their worst, there was always a small group of faithful believers who held on to true religion (see e.g. Is. 11:11, 16; 28:5;
37:31-32; Mic. 4:7; 7:18; Amos 5:15; 9:12). . . . It was these people, the true people of God as it were, in whom God would work his eschatological resolution.” 10
Certainly, many benefits exist for those who were part of national Israel, but inclusion in the people of God is based not on citizenship in a political entity, but rather, on faith in God Himself. Not only is this basis for inclusion seen throughout the Old Testament, but it continues to be reinforced in the New Testament. Jesus makes clear that entrance into the kingdom of God is by faith, not citizenship or religious works. While the kingdom of God is not equatable to the people of God, George Eldon Ladd clearly articulates that those who are part of God’s kingdom form the community of God’s people. 11
The overarching continuity of God’s people throughout Scripture will continue to be exhibited as it provides a treasure trove of images to examine for the purpose of understanding the relationship between God and His church—the current manifestation of His people in the world. Many images applied to both the Old and New Testament people of God will be studied to delineate the nature, pattern, and intention of the
church’s relationship with God. This relationship is of utmost importance in many arenas including revitalization. Paul Minear asserts, “Everywhere in the Bible we hear the
Millar, “The People of God,” 685.
9
Ibid.
10
George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974),
11
111.
assertion that the birth and survival of this people are due alone to God’s gracious and faithful action in creating, calling, sustaining, judging, and saving it.” God’s 12
relationship to His church and ultimately its visible form in individual churches informs the foundation for why revitalization must be pursued. For, through this study of images of God’s people throughout Scripture and especially in 1 Peter 2, one will find that the people of God are first and foremost worshipers of God, and this identity, above all else, informs the motivation and methodology for the pursuit of church revitalization.
The names and images of Israel in the Old Testament are numerous, and many of these are later applied to the church. Dever points to several—“God’s son (Exod.
4:22), his spouse (Ezek. 16:6-14), the apple of his eye (Deut. 32:10), his vine (Isa. 5:1-7;
Nah. 2:2), his flock (Ezek. 34)”—and argues, “In each of these names, God foreshadows the work he will eventually do through Christ and his church.” With this reality in view, 13 Minear’s Images of the Church in the New Testament attempts to address each name or image given to the church, draw the appropriate connections with the Old Testament people of God, and express the implications for one’s understanding of the church. He explains that the images “all serve a double function: first, of linking the New Testament community intimately and strongly to the whole course of Israel’s history, and second, of emphasizing the awesome significance of being inside rather than outside this nation.” 14 Many of the images identified are rare or brief and are addressed in a broad overview. On the other hand, Minear spends an entire section detailing images that contribute to the overarching idea of the church as the people of God. Several of these images will now 15 be examined individually while others will be considered later in a study of 1 Peter 2.
Paul S. Minear, Images of the Church in the New Testament (Louisville, KY: Westminster
12
John Knox Press, 2004), 69.
Dever, “The Church,” 768.
13
Minear, Images of the Church in the New Testament, 83.
14
See the section titled “The People of God” in Minear, Images of the Church in the New
15
Testament, 66-104.
First, a clear family connection is drawn between the church and the Old Testament people of God. Abraham is the father of not only ethnic Israel, but also the church. He is “the father of us all” (Rom 4:16), and we are his “offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). Yet, the church can look to more than Abraham as father. Paul calls those who experienced the Exodus “our fathers” as well (1 Cor 10:1-5). These images communicate a couple of important ideas according to Minear. First, the God of the patriarchs, the nation of Israel, and of the entire Old Testament is the same God of the church, which is seen clearly in texts such as Acts 3:13; 5:30; 7:32; 22:14. Additionally, 16 Minear argues that the language of twelve tribes seen in James 1:1 and Acts 26:7 “asserts the oneness, the fullness, and the wholeness of the people of God.” While the 17
attribution of the twelve tribes language seems to go too far considering the recipients seem to be ethnic Jews, the assertion of the unity and comprehensiveness of God’s people is certainly garnered from the familial ties expressed previously. In light of these ideas, a complete understanding of the church can only be developed in relationship with the God of our fathers and in the pattern of our fathers’ relationship with Him.
Second, the concept of circumcision is prominent in both the Old and New Testaments in close connection to the family ties drawn above. The religious rite was necessary to be part of the nation of Israel. Though clearly a physical act as laid out in 18 its inception in Genesis 17:10, the main point of circumcision was identification with the people of God and a symbol of spiritual commitment to following Him (Deut 10:16). The New Testament authors build on this idea typically referring “not to the rite but to the people (Acts 10:45; 11:2; Rom 3:1, 30).” In Romans 2:25-29, one finds that ultimately 19 circumcision is inward, not outward, and corresponding to that, inclusion in God’s people
Minear, Images of the Church, 73.
16
Ibid.
17
Ibid., 75.
18
Ibid.
19
is inward, not outward. Further, in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, true circumcision is identified with those “who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (3:3). In light of this brief overview, one finds the defining physical rite of the nation of Israel being attributed to the church in a spiritual way consistent with the true meaning of circumcision. Thus, continuity is once again apparent with one specific aspect of discontinuity: no longer are the people of God defined
physically or ethnically, but they are defined by their relationship with God through faith that leads to worship by the Spirit in Christ Jesus.
Next, the concept of God’s assembly is prominent in both testaments with significant emphasis upon the worship of God. Dever observes, “Etymologically, a connection exists between the Old Testament word for ‘assembly,’ qahal, and the New Testament word from which ‘church’ is translated—ekklesia.” Further, the Old 20
Testament word for assembly “is closely bound up in the Old Testament with the Lord’s distinct people—Israel. The rich association between the assembly of God and the distinct people of God then carries over to the New Testament.” Once again, continuity 21 between the people of God in each testament is clear, and a study of the concept of assembly is essential for a full understanding of the relationship between God and His people, specifically the church.
The assembling of God’s people begins at Mt. Sinai with the people receiving the law and learning how to properly worship and honor Him. Their journey to Mt. Sinai was for the purpose of worship as is seen in the declarations to Pharaoh that God’s people are to be released to go worship in the wilderness (Exod 3:18; 5:3, 8; 8:27; 10:25). Later in Deuteronomy 4:10, one finds a crucial purpose of the assembly: to meet with and properly orient their hearts to God as well as be equipped to share the Word of the Lord with others. Additionally, Clowney argues that the assembling of God’s people is where
Dever, “The Church,” 768.
20
Ibid., 769.
21
